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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cakes » Apple Spice Cake

    Apple Spice Cake

    Published: October 21, 2019 · Modified: Oct 29, 2019 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    This moist and delicious apple spice cake is filled with all the fall flavors you love, covered in a perfect brown butter vanilla buttercream and topped with an intoxicating homemade caramel.

    A piece of apple spice cake on a plate with the rest of the cake behind it.
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    three layer apple spice cake topped with caramel drizzle
    piece of three layer apple spice cake topped with caramel drizzle
    three layer apple spice cake topped with caramel drizzle
    three layer apple spice cake topped with caramel drizzle

    Perfect for Fall: warm drinks, soft sweaters and my caramel apple spice cake! This cake is so simple to make and decorate but incredibly delicious.

    If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.

    Pro Tips for an AMAZING Apple Spice Cake

    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • You can save some time and skip browning the butter. You’ll still love the cake BUT definitely try that brown butter sometime!
    • If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
    • You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
    • To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!

    A piece of three layer apple spice cake with caramel and brown butter frosting.

    PRO TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL

    • Don’t stir! After the sugar has dissolved you don’t need to stir as it can cause crystals to form and ruin that silky consistency.
    • DO brush the side of the pot down with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent those pesky crystals from forming.
    • Watch the color carefully taking the sugar to a deep amber color gives a wonderful flavor but going too dark will make a bitter caramel and that sugar will go from perfect to burnt in an instant!
    • Use room temperature butter and cream.
    • Caramel keeps for a while in the fridge so you can make this part ahead of time or make a big batch and save some for ice cream, coffee drinks and snacking!
    • When adding salt dip your a spoon in, let the caramel cool a bit then taste and add more salt if needed. Be careful that sugar is HOT. You can also sprinkle more salt on at the end for a finishing touch!

    How to Make Apple Spice Cake

    Browned butter poured into a bowl and caramel being made.

    1. Add 3/4 cup of butter to a pot and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter caramelize and darken. Be careful of splatters! Once the butter has darkened transfer to a bowl and chill until almost solid. The brown butter will be slow to cool and thicken back up so make sure to do this step in advance. Follow the tips above for perfect caramel that won’t crystalize.

    2. To make the caramel add brown sugar, cream, butter and salt to a small pot over medium-low heat and whisk until the mixture almost dissolves, leave it alone until it bubbles and thickens, although you can wash the side down with a wet pastry brush.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, transfer so a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

    Apple spice cake batter being prepared.

    3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices into a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

    4. Add the yogurt, eggs, melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, and vanilla into a medium bowl and whisk together.

    Apples getting chopped on a cutting board.

    5. Peel, core and chop enough apples to have about 2 cups. Set aside and if desired squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto the apple pieces. It won’t matter if the apples brown while exposed to the air but I like the acid from the lemon juice for some contrast.

    6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine using a spatula to fold the very thick mixture together.

    Apples getting mixed into cake batter.

    7. Add the apples into the batter and fold to incorporate. Your batter will seem quite thick but don’t worry!

    8. Distribute the batter between 3 six inch pans and Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes. I’ve also made this same recipe with 4 six inch pans and it works nicely as well.

    Browned butter buttercream being made in a stand mixer.

    9. While the cake bakes it’s time to make the buttercream. Add the room temp (partially solidified) brown butter you made in step 1 to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add salt and half the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low for about a minute.

    10. Add the remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla then mix on low. Drizzle in cream until desired consistency is reached. Transfer buttercream and caramel from step 2 to piping bags and snip the tips off.

    An apple spice cake getting assembled.

    11. Pipe buttercream onto the first layer. Drizzle caramel, then add the second layer on top. 

    12. Pipe buttercream and caramel onto the second layer, add the third and cover in a thin layer of buttercream.

    Apple spice cake getting smoothed and topped with caramel. 

    13. Smooth the buttercream out using a bench scraper, and or an offset spatula. I scraped away most of the buttercream for a semi-naked look but you can leave more on if you’re a frosting person.

    14. Pipe caramel onto the top and give a quick smooth with a knife or offset spatula. Don’t pipe to much as the caramel drips will slowly descend down the cake for a while.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    • mini pumpkin cakes on a table with real pumpkins mixed in.

      Mini Pumpkin Cake

    • A top town photo of an apple pie with a lattice top and a piece on a plate.

      Apple Pie Recipe

    • A plate with a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting on top with the cupcake liner pulled away.

      Pumpkin Cupcakes

    • A pumpkin pie next to lots of mini pumpkins and a bowl of whipped cream.

      Pumpkin Pie Recipe

    • Apple pie cookies with a bite taken out of one.

      Apple Pie Cookies

    If you’ve tried this cake then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    An apple spice cake covered in brown butter frosting and caramel.
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    4.99 from 185 votes

    Apple Spice Cake

    Moist apple cake with all the holiday spices mixed in. And of course there's a homemade caramel drizzle.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 8 Slices
    Calories 238kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Ingredients

    For the Cake:

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
    • 2 tsp ground cinnamon 4.6g
    • 1/2 tsp ginger 0.9g
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1g
    • 1/2 tsp allspice 1g
    • 1 Pinch ground cloves
    • 1 tsp vanilla 4.9mL
    • 1 tsp baking soda 4.6g
    • 1 tsp salt 6.3g
    • 1/2 cup coconut oil 118.2mL melted
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil 59mL
    • 1/4 cup plain yogurt 59mL
    • 1.5 cups sugar 192g
    • 3 large eggs
    • 3 to 4 apples about 2 cups cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups) I prefer honey crisp but many varieties are great.

    For the Buttercream:

    • 1 pound confectioner's sugar 453.5g
    • 3/4 cup room temperature Butter 170g
    • 1/3 cup cream 79mL
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7g

    For the Caramel:

    • 1 cup brown sugar 200g
    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 71g
    • 1/2 cup cream or half and half 118.2mL
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 14.7mL
    • 1 Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    For the Cake:

    • Sift and whisk together the dry ingredients
    • Mix together the wet ingredients until well combined in a large bowl or stand mixer
    • Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined
    • Fold in the apples
    • Divide the mixture evenly into four 6" pans, which have been buttered and floured. (I always use cake strips too)
    • Bake at 350F for approximately 40 minutes or until centers are done.

    For the Buttercream:

    • Add 3/4 cup of butter to a pot and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally until the milk solids in the butter caramelize and darken. Be careful of splatters! Once the butter has darkened transfer to a bowl and chill until almost solid. The brown butter will be slow to cool and thicken back up so make sure to do this step in advance.
    • Cream the butter in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
    • Add in the salt and powdered sugar gradually and beat together.
    • Add vanilla and cream until desired consistency is achieved.

    For the Caramel:

    • Combine ingredients in small pot and stir together so they're mostly dissolved.
    • Place over medium-low heat and cook for 7-8 minutes leaving it alone until it bubbles and thickens, although you can wash the side down with a wet pastry brush.
    •   Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla then transfer to a bowl to cool.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
    • You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
    • To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

     

     

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    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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